Page 106 of His Greatest Treasure
He gestured at Matilda to keep going, but she hesitated again. It looked like she wanted to obey the instruction from her elder but also didn’t.
After a second, I asked, “Is something the matter?”
She glanced between me and Alfie, and then lowered her eyes. “Lord Somerville always preceded us into a room.”
Alfie gave a start. “Oh, well, I can go first if you want. Seems silly, since you’re nearer, though. Unless it’s to keep you safe. Do you think that’s it? That the elder has to go first to take the brunt of an attack?”
Matilda and I locked eyes and it might just have been a moment but we shared a look of understanding. Since he was my mate, and she was nervous around him at the moment, I decided it was up to me to speak up.
“No, my darling, I don’t think that’s it. Maybe outside of the territory, but not in here. We don’t have any enemies inside, do we?”
That might have been the wrong thing to say, since I saw Alfie’s eyes turn golden with flame and he growled out, “Not any more. Never again.”
While I felt bad for reminding Alfie about the attack, Alfie’s anger actually settled Matilda. She bowed her head again and said, “My dragon wanted to fight with magic yesterday but it didn’t know how. I’ve never been taught to use it. I wasn’t allowed a tutor like Mor—”
She cut herself off before she could say Morgan’s name. Alfie twitched.
She carried on quickly, “I mean I wasn’t allowed a tutor. I wondered, Lord Somerville, if I could request…”
Alfie nodded. “You’ll have to wait until we’re all settled. Then we can hire you a tutor. We must be able to find a good one somewhere.”
“We’ve had tutors in the territory before,” she pointed out.
Alfie, though, shook his head. “Not them. We had Madame Trevellian and, even if she wasn’t dead, I’d never allow her back in. And Morgan’stutor wasn’t very nice to him or very useful. We’ll find somebody better. I wonder if anyone else can teach you in the meantime? Glimmer knows an awful lot.”
“He’s the Guardian,” said Matilda, as though that instantly ruled him out.
“He might teach you, though. Once the borders are secure.”
Matilda nodded but didn’t seem convinced. I wondered if she’d been given hollow promises before. She hurried into the dining room ahead of us. I turned to Alfie and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“We don’t need to sort everything out today. Today is for healing, my love. We’ll make sure everyone is safe and the borders are protected, and then we’ll think about how to move forward.”
My mate pressed his forehead against mine and murmured softly. “Thank you, Blaze. It all seems so much… I don’t know how I’m going to do it all.”
I held him tight, trying to show him that I’d be there for him the whole time. No matter what. And that I knew he’d do a great job as the Somerville elder because he cared. He wanted to protect his clan and help them thrive, and thatmeant he’d put the work in to make it happen. He was already a better elder than his father had been.
By the time we walked into the dining room, Alfie was calm again and the only sign that he was tense was the way he gripped my hand.
As we entered, everyone rose from their seats. Alfie nodded to them and said, “Please be seated.”
I smiled to myself. My mate was already becoming more sure of himself.
His mother was at the nearest end of the table and Alfie went to sit beside her. She held out her hand to stop him.
“Your place is at the head of the table, Lord Somerville.”
Alfie said, “Can you keep calling me Alfie, Mother?”
She smiled and then her eyes slid to me. “Mrs. Wilson tells me that you have a hearty appetite, Blaze. Sit down and I’ll fetch you some breakfast.”
She stood to bustle round and load up my plate and Alfie watched with his mouth open.
I leaned in close. “What is it, my darling?”
“She never speaks at breakfast. It’s always really quiet.”
He’d thought he was whispering but dragon hearing was better than fire spirit hearing, and his mother spoke from the other side of the room. “Your father never liked chatter in the mornings. He preferred us to eat silently. Would you like the same, Alfie?”
